Collection: Ridgways Ceramics

Ridgways Coaching Days is one of the most quintessentially English ceramic patterns ever made. Produced in Staffordshire from the early twentieth century, the design captures stagecoaches pulling into country inns, coachmen and horses on frosty roads, and scenes that could have been lifted from Dickens.

The sepia transferware on a warm cream ground, finished with a deep coloured border, feels cosy and a little festive without ever tipping into kitsch. On a dresser or a laid table it brings instant warmth.

I have always had a soft spot for this pattern. Collect it piece by piece or fill out a set you have inherited; either way, every plate has a story on it, quite literally.